I’m in the process of cleaning and polishing my stainless trim and half of it has 40 year old primer and masking tape residue that has been baked on for at least 25 years. I‘m using 0000 steel wool and chrome cleaner to clean it off but it’s taking forever. The paint comes off easily with brake cleaner and the steel wool, but the masking tape residue it a wee bit tougher. Any tips on cleaning that off?
Cleaning paint and masking tape residue off stainless trim.
ETriggs
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I’m in the process of cleaning and polishing my stainless trim and half of it has 40 year old primer and masking tape residue that has been baked on for at least 25 years. I‘m using 0000 steel wool and chrome cleaner to clean it off but it’s taking forever. The paint comes off easily with brake cleaner and the steel wool, but the masking tape residue it a wee bit tougher. Any tips on cleaning that off?
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Since it's not on the car I would try paint thinner along with the 0000 steel wool. If that doesn't work fast enough I'd switch to acetone and steel wool. Not much I've found that resists acetone, but need to be careful around paint, and be sure to wear rubber gloves.
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Might try something like kerosene or 3M adhesive remover.
Even 40 year old "masking tape"? I don't know what kind of adhesive they use on it, but that stuff turns into petrified glue. I've had the stuff harden in less than a month or so. If it would harden a little faster it might work better than super glue!
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I ran into the very same problem with the trim on my 57 prior to the body and paint. When I bought the car most of the 210 trim was in the back seat or in the trunk Since I bought the car to try my hand at legalized 1/4 mile drag races trim doesn't make it go faster. Set it aside and never gave it another thought until decided to restore for street. That 40+ year old masking tape was like an iron coating on the stainless! After a number of trial and error starts and stops the best thing I found that worked for me was to spray an old rag with brake clean and lay it across the trim and keep it wet with cleaner. Did that for a day or and then I used a plain wooden popsicle stick to scuff the residue off with out scratching the trim at all. Tedious and frustrating but I saved all my original trim. Just passing that along for what it's worth. Good luck in your situation.
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Be super careful witg mek and acetone it enters your blood stream thru the skin, thick chemical gloves recommended
What is witg and mek?
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"witg" was presumably a typo for "with"
"mek" is short for methyl ethyl ketone, a pretty powerful solvent.
For over a decade while I worked repairing tape recorders and 16mm projectors, we used MEK for cleaning deteriorated rubber residue and grease/oil.
Never wore gloves or used any ventilation...
We also used to rub mercury on coins to make them shiny, just for yucks.
And we smashed florescent bulbs so they would fit in the trash.
It's a wonder any of us survived.
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I remember what I used to do with leaded gas. Mmmmm, remember that yellow stuff?
Todd
Todd
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Ever since I began with building models, tearing apart my bicycle, moving on to working on cars, and eventually into the auto upholstery trade in 1973, I'd been washing down most everything with solvents. Varsol, gasoline, lacquer thinner, MEK, chloroethene, you name it, and rarely with gloves on or a respirator. At the end of most work days, my hands were usually covered with glue, which I would clean off with more solvent. In 2018, I was diagnosed with (Surprise!) stage 4 lymphoma. Thanks to modern medicine, I was able to beat it, and gloves are now part of my daily uniform, but it was a tough lesson to learn. Don't be dumb like I was....wear the protection!!
OK, didn't get the spelling thing, just seeing the other abbreviation had me fooled already.
I'd guess with all that exposure we are lucky to have you around. I have to get some gloves SOON. Do you know if the disposable latex ones hold up to those chemicals? Or is there a special kind to use. I had a box of latex gloves but they actually went bad and all tear trying to put them on. I have gallon cans of lacquer thinner, paint thinner, Xylene, Acetone, Denatured alcohol, Naphtha, and one other I can't think of. Add in that I far too often use carb cleaner or brake clean to clean something I'm holding onto. I really need to make space for a small parts cleaner.
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3m adhesive remover is by far the best chemical method I've ever used for removing residue etc...better than goo-gone or goof-off or any of the other stuff out there.
I had some weatherstrip adhesive "bleed" on one of my doors that I didn't even notice until a year later, and it took that off with no issues. The stuff isn't cheap but it works. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area and wear a respirator with a chemical cartridge (at least that's what I do).
I had some weatherstrip adhesive "bleed" on one of my doors that I didn't even notice until a year later, and it took that off with no issues. The stuff isn't cheap but it works. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area and wear a respirator with a chemical cartridge (at least that's what I do).
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holy crap.
Much worse than I was thinking. What an abrasive wheel? NOT a wire wheel but something like a cloth wheel for buffing but more agressive? Obviously you don't want to scratch the stainless.
Another thought is to do a section at a time, using the 3m adhesive remover but soaked onto a rag and left to sit directly on the masking tape for a while to soak in, soften and loosen it.
You've got a project there, for sure.
Much worse than I was thinking. What an abrasive wheel? NOT a wire wheel but something like a cloth wheel for buffing but more agressive? Obviously you don't want to scratch the stainless.
Another thought is to do a section at a time, using the 3m adhesive remover but soaked onto a rag and left to sit directly on the masking tape for a while to soak in, soften and loosen it.
You've got a project there, for sure.
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5,963 Posts
Geez! Acetone evaporates quickly so I think it needs to soak in some kind of solvent and unfortunately finding a tub for that to fit not the best either. I like 55-2-drive's idea using the 3M solvent remover soaked in rags. Wrap it and keep it wet for a day. Might scuff the top of the tape a little first to be sure it soaks it up.
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